I have a complaint against a major university and was told by OCR to file with the U.S. Department of Education. Why?

Several departments could have provided federal financial assistance to that university. In order to avoid duplication of effort and to be more efficient, we coordinate with other agencies to determine the most appropriate agency to handle your complaint. This decision is made on a case-by-case basis with many factors considered, including:

the subject matter,

which department provides the largest portion of federal financial assistance, and

whether an agency has started an investigation.

Generally, HHS does not investigate educational institutions unless the complaint is against a health-related portion of the university (e.g., the university's school of medicine).

Content created by Office for Civil Rights (OCR)Content last reviewed on November 18, 2015